


A Prison Of His Own

by Jok3r



Category: Akira - Fandom
Genre: Metaverse (Persona 5), Other, Persona 5 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2019-04-25 08:00:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14374416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jok3r/pseuds/Jok3r
Summary: Akira has lost his ability to summon a persona, and it happened at the worst time possible. With Akira injured and unable to lead the Phantom Thieves, who will? Especially with only 5 days left before Shido's deadline.





	1. A Wrench In The Plan

**Author's Note:**

> Quick fore note, I'm using an AU here where Akechi was never killed after his fight with the Phantom Thieves, like his cognition never appeared, and this writing branches off of that.

12/13

"We're running out of time!" yelled Ryuji out of nowhere, startling the rest of the Phantom Thieves.  
"Sorry... it's just, we need him."  
"You're right Ryuji." said Morgana sitting and wondering to himself in Futaba's lap. It wasn't a bad day at Inakoshira Park, where the  
Thieves decided they would need to make their temporary HQ. After all, they had a problem ahead of them before they could finish their  
grand finale of a heist by stealing Shido's heart.  
"I miss him." admitted Haru quietly sitting by a tree, looking weaker than usual.  
"I think we all do." muttered Yusuke, who was looking out across the lake trying to find inspiration for art, and extensively, what they were about to do.  
Akira Kurusu was in a hospital. Things had gone bad for him during the last infiltration they had made into Shido's palace, and they were  
the primary reason why Goro Akechi was now a permanent member of the Phantom Thieves.

12/11  
"Now! Let's see you drop dead one at a time! In front of your precious friends!"  
"Dammit, he's lost it! Here he co-"  
"No." Joker cut off Mona. "The Phantom Thieves don't kill. If he wants a fight to the death, then let me be the only one to spill blood."  
"Joker! You can't be serious!" yelled Queen but all of them were unsure if they were ready to take a life, even someone's as psychotic  
as how Crow had become before them, and they all stepped back slowly, leaving only Joker and his teal flames and chains contrasting  
against Crow's psychotic wreathes of fire and laughter in the boiler room of the cognitive ship.

Joker took the opening gambit, immediately attempting his down shot, flipping and rolling through the air while firing rounds at Crow effortlessly. It seemed it wouldn't work here as Crow cackled at the ineffective bullets and reached up the crimson flames across his mask. Joker quickly jumped back to position, and immediately summoned Arsene to perform a physical skill. Arsene and Loki clashed before the attacks struck both Joker and Crow, beginning the very evenly matched battle.

Shortly after...

The battle was winding to a close, with Crow's attacks becoming more and more desperate and Joker seeming much more sluggish than usual.  
Joker reached up to summon again for another attack, his hand coming to his face but as he struck a more poising stance, nothing happened.  
No persona would appear. In the span of a few seconds, Joker who was struggling to pull the mask off his face all of a sudden, looked back  
up at the last second of a critical moment. Crow cried out the name of his true persona as he cast Laevatein at Joker.  
"JOKER!" The Thieves all screamed and ran to him as he took the attack head on.  
With a grunt of pain, Joker was forced onto a knee, but quickly, with his legs trempling and body shaking he forced himself back to his  
2 feet. "PEEERSONAAA" cried Joker as he finally forced a summon out of himself. Lucifer rose out of the flames and with Morning Star  
Crow was finally knocked into submission.  
The Thieves rushed to surround Akira, who was still swaying on his feet, to get him medical care. 

Minutes later...

"You all are truly beyond my comprehension..."  
"C'mon man, let's just do the right thing." said Skull as he and Fox rushed over to hoist him up and carry him out. They turn around to  
see Joker, who then turns around and looks at the rest of the group who all witness the last few moments of their infiltration. Their  
leader, Joker, turned to them with his mask absent from his complexion. They had all been injured in the Metaverse before, but for the  
first time Joker's pale face loosened. The steady drops of his blood hitting the steel were interrupted by him falling to his knees  
and collapsing on the cold metal floor.  
"Joker?"  
"Dude!"  
"Joker!"  
"Joker?!"  
"No!"  
"Hey! You okay?!"  
"Akira... NO!"

(Present Day) 12/13  
"You guys really think that's why he lost his mask?" Morgana finally snapped Akechi back to attention of the meeting while he was still  
lost in memory of what happened to his only confidant.  
"I mean, we can't deny this. If we want answers, this would be a start." Makoto said in a sullen voice as they all looked at her phone once more to make sure what they saw was real. The palace navigation was open. Under the ruler's slot, "Akira Kurusu" was entered. No error message presented itself. They figured out what the distortion was. "Prison" was entered there. Akira occasionally vaguely mentioned his dreams about a prison to each of the thieves. "But to what extent do you guys think he has distorted?"  
"Maybe just Leblanc?" Ryuji said looking up from his manga finally.  
Conditions have not been met.  
"Maybe it's Shibuya like with Kaneshiro?" suggested Yusuke.  
Conditions have not been met.  
"This may sound strange, but what if it's the same as Shido's? Like, all of Japan?" Futaba said.  
Conditions have not been met.  
Finally, the next prince detective spoke up. "The World." he said to Makoto's phone.  
Input accepted. Searching for route to destination...  
"It probably isn't my place to say this, but, it's showtime." Akechi muttered as the world around the thieves melted before their eyes.


	2. A Change of Plans

12/13 (Tuesday)

The inebriated strands of reality slowly straightened out before the Thieves, as they all felt a feeling of elevation, as if they were stepping into a place with a different aura and sense of gravity, and their clothes materialized around them. Inokashira Park was still there, but against the dark green sky a massive structure loomed above them. An enormous castle-like structure rested atop an island surrounded by crumbled buildings where the rest of Tokyo was supposed to be.  
"Oh my goodness..." whispered Noir. "This is his palace?"  
"It really is a prison." said Fox. "This is strange though. It doesn't have the same vibe as the Joker we all know."  
"We don't have time to waste. Let's investigate instead of making inferences." said Crow, looking down at his former outfit that he would now go back to using.  
"Uhh, hey wait." Skull interjected. "Who's gonna lead the first team?"  
Each of the Phantom Thieves all looked at each other awkwardly in a circle, not knowing if the best decision to make would really be the best one. Queen was the one to finally break the silence. "Crow is the only other person here who has the Wild Card. It would be dangerous to have a front team without one." She turned to him with a much more stern face. "You can choose the lineup to infiltrate with. And choose a full team, no going in solo. You can lead us, but you're not Joker."  
Crow wasn't too hurt by that. He was still mostly honored and somewhat worried about leading them. "Very well. I'll lead to the best of my abilities." He looked over the team and considered in his head who would make the best four man lineup.  
He didn't trust just the brute power of Skull or Fox, and wanted a diverse set of skills. Queen and Noir would be able to support and do lots of damage, and for the final one he chose Mona to heal when they needed it. "You three. Are you okay with going first?" They all filed behind Crow as they set off towards the island, the secondary infiltration team following closely behind. 

The bland architecture of the prison did not match the Joker they knew at all, and it took them a while to find and opening. Well, make one. Each window had bars on it so they eventually picked one and Noir was more than happy to use her grenade launcher before they all climbed inside. Crow looked around and found that he and his team were in a stray corridor. They dashed down it before hiding behing a corner at the sound of footsteps.  
"Enemy spotted." whispered Morgana. "It's your call."  
Crow peered out into the next hall at it. The shadow took the form of a prison guard, walking this way and that, examining a section of prison cells, although here they appeared empty. It didn't seem very strong, the level of visible distortion on it wasn't that noticeable. "I don't think it's a strong one."  
"You don't think? Joker usually just knows every time somehow." Morgana whispered back  
"Sorry, I'm not him." Crow had to think about his next problem. It was Joker's cunning agility that made it so easy for him to make the opening for an ambush, but Crow was not that kind of strong and flexible. Especially after being weakened from their fight. He had a spark of inspiration, and waited for the shadow to turn it's back to them. "On my cue."  
Crow darted into the hallway and wasted no time in making the biggest leap he could above the shadow. "You will fall by our hands!" He extracted his saber and performed what looked like a diagonal helm splitter and landed perfectly on his feet. The others running behind him hesitated for a moment because it didn't look as if he had done anything. Suddenly, the front half of the shadows face and it's mask slid free from it's head, and immediately after it crumbled into it's liquid state before it would transform, so the thieves dashed back into the fight to surround whatever would come out.  
Black Frost and Oberon exploded out of the puddle that used to be the guard, and the thieves went to action with their upper hand. "Come! Anat!" yelled Queen as she ripped off her mask and a nuclear flame imploded onto Oberon, knocking it to the ground. "Alright Queen!" Oracle cheered for them through their telepathic voice channel. Mona and Noir rushed at Black Frost with their weapons.  
Crow was aloof. 'What do I do? I can't let them down. What's the best I can do?'  
A sharp meow and hiss was heard as Mona went flying past him, Crow snapped back into attention to see Oberon was back up and had thrown lightning at Mona.  
Oberon had a devious smile as he used the turned momentum to wave his sword, and another bolt of lightning was ready to be thrown. "CROW!"  
Oracle's voice brought him back fully to his mode of being ready to fight, yet he didn't waste half a second dashing to Mona's form on the ground and standing in the way of the Ziodyne. He took the hit full on and gritted his teeth as the electricity shot through him. "That's enough." Crow reached up to his mask, his resolve refilled. "Loki!"  
"Crow...?" Mona was bracing for unconsciousness to come, but didn't expect to see Crow standing above him sending Deathbound at the shadows. Black Frost took the blunt of it, Noir followed up and knocked him down with resolute swing of her ax. Queen summoned again, more atomic energy setting Oberon on the floor next to his partner.  
"Mona! Are you ready?" yelled Crow as Mona was getting back to his feet. "Now!"  
They all leapt into the all out attack, and within a few blood raging seconds, the shadows were no more. 

"Mona? Are you alright?" Noir immediately jumped to make sure he was okay.  
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He looked over at their temporary leader, a puzzled look on his face. "Thank you Crow."  
"Oh? Ah, think nothing of it. If you all are fine, let's proceed." He said turning back to the unexplored end of the hallway.  
"Everything okay up there? The others are close behind if you need anything." Oracle's voice came through their heads again.  
Queen, Noir, and Mona all gave each other looks of surprise, and questionability. Then, they all dashed after their leader.


	3. Your Last Surprise

12/12 (Monday)

Akira’s eyes slowly lifted open like a shuttle closure. He half expected to see angels, or maybe a velvet ceiling, but he was greeted by the Takemi Clinic ceiling.  
“You’ve got it pretty bad this time” He heard a familiar silky voice.  
He turned his head to see Tae standing near the nursing bed he was usually on. However now she looked more restless than usual. Her lab coat was absent and so was most of her jewelry. Instead she was in her casual dress, but without the leather jacket. Her office was a huge mess too. She’s been busy.  
“What happened?” Akira finally asked her.  
“Your friends kind of filled me in on what happened. While you were out playing your dangerous game you suffered a massive and messy laceration unlike anything I’ve ever seen across your abdomen. Of course, you’re still playing dead though. Your friends thought here would be the next best place to a hospital.” Tae stepped over to the bed and quickly but gingerly placed a hand on his shoulder as he tried to make an effort to sit up. “You’re gonna wanna lay there for a couple days.” She gently stroked his hair looking at his growing expression of panic.  
“But... we have a deadline soon. Where are the others?”  
“I actually have no idea. I was treating you and conducting a small operation for the last 18 hours. Your welcome.”  
Akira finally lifted his head a bit to look down at himself. His pajama pants were on, but his shirt was absent and large bandages and medical tape draped across his chest. His left arm that he usually uses to block also had a wrap around it’s forearm. “Oh. Thank you Tae.”  
Her mood changed. “Don’t worry about it. I’m glad you’re okay. I have to go get food for myself and you. Is Ogikubo takeout okay?”  
Akira nodded, still looking over himself and gently touching the bandages.  
Tae stood back up and grabbed her purse. “I’ll be back soon then. Your friends left some of your things here if you need them.” She looked down at him once more with a mixed look of concern, satisfaction, and... admiration. And with that she left the office, locking the door behind her. _'Dammit. That boy is handsome even when he's hospitalized.'_  
Akira struggled again to lift his head and look around. There was a bedside table to his right that had used medical and operation tools, and used rolls of bandages, and a small stack of Akira’s clothes, which now had a crimson stain, but atop it all sat his phone glimmering against the clinic’s lights.

12/13  
The infiltration teams of the Phantom Thieves met up once again as they found another safe room. Every once in a while the room’s would fizzle and show the appearance of Akira’s room, or one of the other many familiar places they had seen in Tokyo, or even Hawaii.  
Crow sat at the table in the center with the rest of the thieves. “How are we all doing?”  
“I got energy to spare!”  
“I’m still ready to continue.”  
“Let’s keep going at this pace.”  
Mona stood up on his booster seat. “Shido’s deadline is in 5 days, and we’re infiltrating a completely different palace. We have to hurry.”  
Oracle looked up from her laptop. “At least we have a route to the treasure in Shido’s palace. It’s ready to be taken down, we just need... y’know.”  
“We haven’t suffered any incapacitations in battle yet” said Queen. “Let’s just keep going.”

Outside the safe room they were nearing the center of the large prison. Crow assured that everyone was in prime condition, then the team dashed out into the halls again.  
“Hey, hold up” said Oracle’s voice in their heads. “I’m getting detections inside those prison cells.”  
Crow and the others made sure no shadows were nearby then approached one of them. Inside, there was a person. “Who might this be?”  
“Wait a minute! That’s...!” Mona jumped at the bars to get a closer look.  
One of the past targets they had in Mementos was huddled in the corner. The cognition muttered to itself “I should have never done it... I should have never...”  
The team was silent as they walked down the hallway slowly stunned seeing many of their past targets, some they didn’t even recognize.  
Queen whispered “Was Joker taking targets by himself? Whenever he felt like it?”  
The sight of the first few products from the desires of their leader left them in stunned silence as they approached the end of the hallway, which at the end had a door opening to the cafeteria. The team traveled through the eerie silence of the room until it was shattered by familiar deep laughter.  
Bright gold eyes peered down at the team from the guardwalk above the cafeteria. “Welcome to my prison. Would you like the grand tour of all of my trophies?” Joker appeared behind the eyes, wearing a warden’s outfit, his right hand newly accustomed to a long baton in the place of where his dagger would be. Seven more pairs of golden eyes appeared around him on the guard walk.

12/12  
Akira pulled his phone to his face, turning it on. He immediately opened the Phantom Thieves chatroom to see what he missed. There was a collection of messages from the night before. The conversation after yesterday’s infiltration went so;

Ryuji: hey! how’s Akira?!  
Yusuke: Will he be alright?  
Haru: Does Dr. Takemi need any help?

A half hour passed in the chat log.

Futaba: Sojiro and I are still checking on him. Takemi said she’s going to operate on him, but we can’t talk to her. She said he’s critical.  
Ryuji: DAMMIT! why the hell did he have to try to pull that stunt off?!  
Ann: Calm down Ryuji. He did it in our best interests.  
Makoto: Ann’s right. I think we all can agree we don’t want to kill anyone.

The chat went on well into the early hours of the morning.

Futaba: Tae said he’s okay! She finished the operation!  
Haru: Can we visit him?  
Ryuji: I’m heading over right effin now!  
Yusuke: Food can wait. I can afford the train.  
Futaba: He’s still out cold tho... >:[

They agreed to all rest after staying up all night the next day, presumably today, and the chat log ended there. Akira turned his phone off and sighed to himself. He looked back at the corner of the room at his bag sitting on the floor.

12/13  
“Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Meet the main staff of the institution!” The distorted voice of Shadow Joker rang through the room as a cognitive version of each of the Thieves except Crow stepped out of the darkness above them and looked down at them.  
Crow steeled himself and pointed at Shadow Joker. “Is this how you see the world and your targets? Why can’t Joker summon any personas?”  
“What are you talking about? This is my justice! I can summon personas just fine. Let my fellow wardens show you.” The Shadow raised one hand into the air and gave the same familiar snap Joker would. Suddenly each of the cognitive Thieves dived down from the guardwalk, circling the team.  
“Crap! This isn’t good, you’re surrounded!” yelled Oracle “Ngh! Somethings stopping me from using my skills too!”  
The Cognitive Oracle giggled to herself as she stayed at a farther distance than the rest of the cognitions.  
The team drew their weapons and readied themselves, studying how each of the cognitions looked exactly like their real counterparts, however each of them weren’t wearing their flamboyant outfits, just stark red warden’s uniforms.  
Cognitive Noir made the opening move with a sinister giggle that sounded nothing like the real Noir. She reached up to her maskless face, but still red flames grew in the room, and Mother Harlot threw massive ice at the team.  
It shattered down on them, but the real Noir wouldn’t stand for it. “Astarte!” She pulled off her mask and Triple Down slapped each of the cognitions senseless.  
Cognitive Panther laughed next as Ishtar was born from her, and each of the cognitions were immediately healed.  
Cognitive Skull roared as Chi You appeared and created Gigantomachia, knocking the wind out of the whole team, Crow was the only one still on one knee.  
“Queen is down! Someone revive her!” yelled Oracle at the disgruntled Noir and Mona who were knocked down and could not help.  
Shadow Joker cackled again from above. “Only I could turn a situation like this around! Finish them off!”  
Crow had enough of it. He knew he wasn’t as charming, strong, or smart as Joker. But he was special himself too. He would not end here.  
“Now! Loki!” Crow ripped his mask off and Loki rose above the combatants and Evil Smile made each of the cognitions shudder.  
“What? All of you! Shake it off!” yelled Shadow Joker.  
“Too late.” Crow smiled to himself. Some of the cognitions shook it off quickly but the cognitive Oracle, Panther, and Fox could not. “GHASTLY WAIL!” A black cloud flew out of Loki, and the shivering cognitive Thieves immediately keeled at contact with it, dissapearing into the air. He turned on the spot and immediately switched personas. “Samarecarm!” Robin Hood appeared and a heavenly glow kicked Queen back into ignition as she got back up, amazed that it was Crow giving her his hand.  
“I can use my skills again! Placement Hack NOW!” Green spotlights lit up the room as Shadow Joker went silent at Oracle’s mischevious laugh. A flash of light ensued, and when it cleared the four Thieves pointed their guns at the remaining cognitions as the sides were switched.  
“This’ll be a massacre!” yelled Crow as he leapt into action with the other Thieves. To Shadow Joker’s dismay and soon retreat, they destroyed the fakes with flurries of blindingly fast attacks ending with Crow posing in satisfaction. _“That is the taste of defeat!”_

A few minutes later, they finally stopped running down the next hallway at the sight of a new safe room.  
“He got the head start. Chasing still would only waste more energy. Which I don’t think we can spare.” said Crow looking over at the other Theives huffing and gasping to themselves. “Perhaps we should stop for today.”  
Chasing in the direction of Shadow Joker the weary Thieves made it to the top of the largest tower of the facility. At the very top, a placard saying “Warden’s Office” was on the wall next to a familiar door that had a sign saying “Sorry We’re Closed.”  
Skull stepped forward and jimmied the door for the fiftieth time. “Dammit! Is this another cognitive barrier?”  
“Don’t you think we’ve seen this door before?” inferred Crow.  
“Of course, it’s the door to Leblanc.” said Panther  
“It doesn’t make sense though. If people are always in Leblanc why would his cognition be that no one can enter?” said Queen.  
“It could be that he doesn’t think anyone will be able to target him because he’s the Phantom himself” said Mona, climbing onto Oracle’s shoulder to catch his breath.  
“It could be like with my palace where we can’t enter until he reads the calling card” said Oracle.  
“Mona, how far do you think we’ve made it?” said Queen  
“We’re getting pretty close. I can sense the treasure nearby. But I don’t think we should continue today in case of more tough enemies like that.”  
“Why the hell not?!” yelled Skull  
“We’re out of medicines and many of us have been exhausted for the day. We should take at least a day to rest and stock up” said Crow. “And, to prepare the calling card.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote this whole thing on my phone in a car ride lol


	4. Dear John

12/14

Akechi looked down at his phone underneath his umbrella in the pouring rain. He'd been wandering from different places to stay at, covering his tracks knowing that Shido would be coming to find him soon. But for now, today was supposed to be a preparation day. He opened up the Phantom Thieves chatroom.

Akechi: Does anyone know where Akira would purchase new equipment for the team?  
Ryuji: that'd be untouchable in shibuya  
Yusuke: Will we be sending the calling card today Akechi?  
Futaba: i miss him... :'/  
Makoto: Honestly, I think we all miss him Futaba. We'll have him back soon.  
Akechi: Yesterday was grueling, even for me. If more of us are put out of commission, we'll only be delayed further. We should rest for today.  
Haru: Maybe we could visit him at Dr. Takemi's Clinic?

Futaba eventually put her phone back in her pocket. She looked across the room at the figure of Akira resting on his back, sleeping the time until the deadline away. Even if they fixed his heart, would he be okay? He wasn't exactly in proper medical care, he was in a family clinic. These thoughts ran through Futaba's head so fast she didn't even notice she was now sitting next to his bed, looking at his pale face. He was put on sleep medicine to get as much rest as possible when not eating. Tae left to go get them more food and to change clothes for once in the last few days. Futaba reached for Akira's arms that was above the thin blanket, and ran her fingers over his hand, waiting for him to hopefully grip hers back soon.

The rain pattered against the windows of Leblanc's attic. Morgana simply lay on Akira's bed. It was always him that brought so much energy to Morgana's life, even if Morgana never showed it. "I think he rubbed off on us all quite well. He really is something else." He whispered to himself as he pawed over to his pillow and curled up there. The others were all resting for today. He guessed he should as well. He thought about asking Akechi if he could sit in his bag, but he didn't want to. Not because he disliked Akechi. It just wouldn't be the same.

Ryuji sat with Ann, Makoto, and Haru in the diner at Shibuya. He was wracking his brain to figure out what to say in a calling card to his own best friend. Despite the sad circumstances, even Ryuji couldn't help but notice he was alone with this lovely company that was helping him write. The rain meant there weren't many patrons to hear anything they talked about.  
"So uhh... ahaha, why did you guys all come here to help me?" stuttered out Ryuji trying to sound somewhat cool despite his coca cola compared to the other's tea and the paper he was using covered in childish doodles.  
"You always call on at least one of us when you have to write a calling card." said Makoto with a stern look  
"Not to be rude but..." Haru whispered "Why does Ryuji still have the role of writing the calling card if he struggles with it so much?"  
"That was actually one of the first leader decisions Akira made when we took down Kamoshida" Ann recalled.  
The four of them went quiet again as the touchy subject resurfaced. Ryuji decided to break the silence. "In all honesty, if you guys wanna leave, go ahead. It's not that I don't know what to write. I just don't want to admit it."  
The other three girls decided to stay.

Akechi stepped into Untouchable. Immediately he seemed out of place in this new atmosphere. The owner looked up from his magazine and cocked his eyebrow at the prim and proper detective. Akechi strengthened his resolve and summoned all of his courage as he approached the counter.  
"Whaddya need kid?" said the rugged owner.  
"I'd like to peruse your most valuable wares please" Akechi said with the straightest face he could muster.  
"Who the hell do you think you are? You a cop?!" the owner slapped his magazine down angrily.  
"I'm here for Akira Kurusu."  
The owner's face suddenly changed. "You know the kid? Where's he been?"  
"He'll be able to see you again soon. But only if you help me" Akechi held up his wallet. "Do we have a deal?"

Akira heard chains rattling, rattling, rattling.  
He opened his eyes and saw the familiar velvet walls and ceiling of his prison cell. Wanting answers to what happened a few days ago, he lifted himself up to sit up. He looked across at his prison door. Even more chains and locks draped across it. When he stepped up to the bars only a gap at head level in the chains allowed him to see the residents of the Velvet Room.  
"You appear to have fallen in quite a rut haven't you?" said a familiar gravelly voice.  
"I can't believe you've done this inmate!" Caroline was more furious than usual as she slapped the bars with her baton.  
"You have truly made an error this time." Justine was more disappointed than usual as well.  
"You have no further business here. Until you find what gave you your spirit in the first place, we cannot assist you with your masks. Begone."  
The monotone voice and distant ringing of the prison bell faded as Akira felt consciousness finally coming back to him.

12/15  
Rain continued to patter outside. Akira finished his cup of ramen, now able to sit up from his bed and stand sometimes. He heard the door of the clinic open and he set his cup down and dashed to bed to look as if he was still resting like a good patient. But Tae did not step through the door. Akechi walked in quietly. "Good morning. How have you been recovering?"  
Akira grimaced at the memories of times he'd been alone with Akechi. "Good morning."  
Akechi stepped over to the bed and sat in the chair most of Akira's visitors would. "I hope our differences can be settled by the end of this conversation."  
"What have you come here to say?"  
"I know why you lost your mask."  
Akira was taken aback. "How would you know?"  
"It's not very difficult to tell." He took out his phone and placed it in Akira's hand. Akira held it up to his face and read what he never thought he would read.  
Palace Ruler: Akira Kurusu  
Ruler's Distortion: Prison  
Ruler's Perceived Space: The World  
Akira was at a loss for words. "I assume you know what must be done?" said Akechi breaking the silence  
"But who... how..."  
"If you trust the other's judgment, I have been leading them in your place."  
Akira sat in silence for what felt like hours. "Why?"  
"I think I owe you a favor." Akechi said, running a gloved finger across Akira's bandages  
More silence.  
"So you'll fix my heart?"  
"It's the least I can do. But only if you trust me."  
Akira considered his words very carefully for a moment.  
"If you really won over the others and have been leading them successfully so far, you have my trust in your capability."  
Akechi made a warm smile. Different from the fake ones he showed so many times before. He stood up from his seat. "I hope we can return to the way things were before."  
Akechi extended his hand.  
"Me too."  
Akira clasped it as they shook on their promise. 

_Akira has given me his blessing to take his heart. There's no going back now._

_We've come full circle. I'm placing my life in Akechi's hands_

I am **thou** , thou art I…  
Thou hast turned a **vow** into a blood oath,

Thy bond shall become the wings of **rebellion**  
And **break** the yoke of thy heart

Thou hast awakened to the ultimate secret of **Justice** ,  
Granting thee infinite **power**.

 

Their hands dropped. "I guess it's only a formality at this point, but the Phantom Thieves go by the books don't they?" He took out a card and left it in Akira's hand. "See you soon." and he was out the door and gone.  
Akira held up the calling card.

Akira Kurusu, traitor to yourself and your own justice,  
You have fallen victim to the very things you swore to save people from  
Your pride and selfishness have thrust you into crime beyond what is  
needed by the people.  
Your sins will end here, as we will steal your distorted heart away.  
Sincerely,

What Akira read next put tears in his eyes. Instead of their alias at the bottom, in a different set of handwriting for each one written,  
Ryuji!  
Ann! <3  
**MORGANA**  
_Yusuke_  
Makoto  
Futaba!!  >:3  
_Haru <3_  
Goro Akechi


End file.
